Separation of uranium isotopes using anion exchangers
AssigneeAsahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMaomi Seko, Tetsuya Miyaki
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Abstract
Uranium-235 is efficiently concentrated using a solution containing uranium-238 and uranium-235 by passing a solution containing uranium (VI) complex anions through a body of an anion exchange material to adsorb uranium (VI) complex anions on a portion of the anion exchange material and then passing a solution of a reducing agent through the anion exchange material thus retaining uranium in the form of the uranium (VI) complex anions to elute the uranium ions while reducing the uranium (VI) complex anions to uranium (IV) complex ions.
Claims30
A process for concentrating uranium-235 using a solution of uranium isotopes which comprises:
- passing a solution containing uranium isotopes in the form of uranium (VI) complex ions through a bed of an anion exchange material to absorb the uranium (VI) complex ions on the anion exchange material in the form of uranium (VI) complex anions, and then
- passing on aqueous solution of a reducing agent through said bed of an anion exchange material to elute said uranium (VI) complex anions adsorbed on said anion exchange material while simultaneously reducing said uranium (VI) complex anions to uranium (IV) complex ions thereby forming, in the downstream direction, a distinct boundary between a zone of reducing agent where the uranium (VI) complex anions have been eluted and a zone of adsorbed uranium (VI) complex anions,
- thereby concentrating uranium-235 isotope in the portion of adsorbed uranium (VI) complex anions adjacent to said boundary which moves through the anion exchange material while feeding the solution of the reducing agent to the anion-exchange material.
A process for concentrating uranium-235 using a solution of uranium isotopes which comprises:
- passing a solution containing uranium isotopes in the form of either uranium (VI) complex ions, uranium (IV) complex ions or both, through a bed of an anion exchange material containing an oxidizing agent to convert a portion of said anion exchange material to the form of absorbed uranium (VI) complex anions, and then
- passing an aqueous solution of a reducing agent through said portion of adsorbed uranium (VI) complex anions to elute said uranium (VI) complex anions adsorbed on said anion exchange material while simultaneously reducing said uranium (VI) complex anions to uranium (IV) complex ions,
- thereby first forming an adsorbed band of uranium (VI) anions defined by front and rear boundaries with respect to the flow direction, the band moving through said anion exchange material while being in contact at the rear portion and rear boundary with said reducing agent and in the front portion and front boundary with said oxidizing agent, respectively, thereby concentrating uranium-235 at said rear portion of absorbed uranium (VI) complex anions on said anion exchange material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.